If we may jadge from the correspondence that has appeared in our calamus during the last few days, the majority of Ratepayers have realized that a crusade against absentee voting cannot. derive any substantial support from the course of events at last week's meeting. Not one of the correspondents who. denounce the Poll has attempted to meet the argument that the circumstances that led to its employment this year were wholly without precedent. Tt is readily conceded, as was pointed out by late Chairmen of the) sry Council in a letter on Wednesday, that recourse to the Poll should be had "only in exceptional cases," on occasions, that ix to say, when it is to defend the local constitation." Buch an occasion may be said to have presented itself last Friday, and, before the subject is altogether forgotten, or in case the "'non-placets"" have been merely silenced, not convinced, it may be well to re-state the contention already goer elaborated: in these columns. Modern politics are sible for many Shibboleths," and it is natural that they should' have come to be re garded as possessing universal applica tion, The conditions governing the administration of Shanghai, however, fare unique, and the more they are studied, the more it becomes apparent that general principles are not always fallible whea applied to our municipal affairs. Far from being an argument against ab.entec voting, last Friday's perience goes to prove how necessary it is that there should be some check on soap votes on subjects which may be improperly underfed by the slasorte at large. The effect of the voting on show of hands on Resolution VIL was to leave the Administration without supplies and without powers of taxation for the whole year. To meet such a situation the Council would bare bad to resign the hole basines of electing a new Counc! preparing a new Budget de novo, sod of calling another Ratepayers' Meeting would have had to be gone through and it would have been the middle of May or later before the government of the Settlement was once more in working order. posed, as has been reasonably pointed out, that those who held up their hands against Resolution VII appreciated the position. Inasmuch a8 ling to propose a reduction in the Budget, the only possible pro- th cedare open to the meeting was to vote it en bloc. Unfortunately the meeting, recking little of parliamentary procodure—and as the electorate grows, the number of voters in this frame of mind will increase annnally—proceeded complacently to throw out the Badget lock, stock and barrel in " hopelessly irresponsible manoer. The Poll in this stance saved the commanity from itself. There is every reason to der hand that it should be used most sparingly, but to do away with such a safeguard altogether, in the changing conditions of this Settlement, would hardly appear to argue statesmanship.
Tt cannot be doubted that the events of the last twolannual Meetings will lead to increasing reluctance on the part of Council and Ratepayers to roake any appeal to the Poll. Those wi may be referred to thin wee Gazette," in which, it will be noted that the Conocil has lost no time in applying the spirit of the adverse vote to the Budget. The Poll, it must be repeated, was not used this year to defeat the Ratepayers' wishes, bat rather to enable the administration to proceed without a violent and unneces-stoppage. Before the end of next teenth we ball hope to ace printed "The Municipal Gazette" statement of the first Quarter's expenditare, showing satisfactory reduction on the Estimates.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.